


Always The Bridesmaid

by neoqueentitania



Category: Sword Art Online (Anime & Manga)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, I don't even know how to tag this, Weddings, it's midnight and i should be asleep but here we are, will add tags
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2019-12-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:08:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22016902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neoqueentitania/pseuds/neoqueentitania
Summary: Suguha Kirigaya watches from the sidelines as her brother gets married, contented with her life as a bridesmaid. Just how long can she possibly keep waiting for her day to be the bride?
Relationships: Kirigaya Suguha | Leafa/Shinozaki Rika | Lisbeth
Comments: 6
Kudos: 16





	Always The Bridesmaid

**Author's Note:**

> IT'S 12:20AM AND THIS WAS FUELLED BY TAYLOR SWIFT SONGS, DAYDREAMS AND AN UNHEALTHY AMOUNT OF CAFFEINE! WOO! LET'S GO LESBIANS LET'S GO!

The day was perfect, everything Kazuto and Asuna had wanted. The perfect wedding for the perfect couple. Asuna’s dress had been the princess gown she’d always dreamed of, the entire church was covered in beautiful vines and flowers, and the weather, while cold, had been sunny and the rain had held off longer than anyone was expecting.

Suguha clapped louder than anybody else as her brother walked hand-in-hand with his new bride from their ceremony, in awe of how the couple watched each other, entirely lost in each other’s eyes, as if they were falling in love a million times over again.

The raven-haired girl sighed dreamily once they left the church, walking to the other bridesmaids where they were standing outside by the stone wall, appropriately trimmed with red roses for the occasion.

“They really do love each other,” Rika leant her head on Suguha’s shoulder.

“You think any of us will find that?” Ayano asked hopefully.

Asada shrugged, “Maybe.”

They all sighed, pulling each other into a group hug. Seeing two of their best friends get married would be emotional either way, but after everything the group had gone through together, it felt more significant than any other wedding, like a chapter none of them had noted the beginning of had finally reached its conclusion.

The girls were called to join the newlyweds for photographs, Suguha making sure she got one of her with her brother and one of her with her new sister-in-law. 

Asuna hugged her tightly, almost crying into her shoulder.

“Thank you for letting me into your family and being so wonderful,” she said softly.

Suguha smiled, hugging her tighter. 

“Thank you for making my brother happy,”

Kazuto walked back over, pulling the two of them into a bear hug, kissing the top of their heads and motioning for them to smile as the photographer captured the moment. That one was going in their family photo album, they could already tell.

The couple excused themselves to go have more pictures taken of the two of them, so Suguha wandered over to where her mother stood in the corner, crying. Of course, the entire family was filled with so many emotions that day - pride, love, and the tinge of melancholy sadness at Kazuto’s parents not being there for the day - it was no wonder Midori had struggled to hold back tears through the ceremony.

“Are you okay?” She asked, rubbing her mother’s shoulder comfortingly.

Midori turned to her, smiling, “I’m so proud of him.” 

The pair of them watched as Kazuto helped Asuna into a car, carrying the skirt of her dress for her to help her, then kissed her cheek as he sat down for himself. Ever the gentleman, just how he was raised.

“I wish someone would look at me the same way he looks at Asuna,” Suguha sighed.

“Me too, kid,” Rika chuckled as the girl jumped back, shocked that her mother wasn’t standing next to her. Rika noticed her confusion, still laughing, “Shino asked her to help with her dress, something about her zip.”

Suguha nodded her head, then leant against Rika’s shoulder. The brunette put an arm around her, feeling how cold her arms where. She’d probably been standing in the cold all morning waiting for her brother - fashionably late, as he always was - in a strapless dress without anything to keep her warm.

“Sugu, you’re freezing, let me help!” Rika pulled off her suit jacket, wrapping it around the younger girl’s shoulders, then holding her in a tight hug. “Are you warm now?” She asked, cheek pressed into her back.

“I’m fine, Lis-”

“Your brother told me to look after you, so I need to make sure you’re warm. Put your arms in and we can go back inside, you’ll catch a cold and Kazuto will have my head,”

Rika grabbed Suguha’s hand, practically dragging her inside the church building once more, walking her to one of the front pews, sitting down lazily into the seat, tugging Suguha’s arm to sit next to her. The girl sat down beside her friend, adjusting the skirt of her dress to cover her legs more. She had to admit, she was a little cold, but she wouldn’t let Rika know.

“You look nice, by the way,” Rika commented absentmindedly. Suguha blushed, mumbling a small thank you as she looked around the church. 

Rika smiled, watching as the girl became wonderstruck by everything in the room. The church was admittedly beautiful, but the girl sitting it in was even more so. Her hair was slightly wavy, falling and framing her face softly, and her dress, though now obscured by the jacket, was a deep ruby colour, strapless and floor-length, with white lace across the bodice and matching purse Suguha had left somewhere else on the grounds.

“You look nice, too,” Suguha complimented. Then it was Rika’s turn to blush, cheeks dusted with the same pink as her hair was as Lisbeth. She hadn’t put that much thought into her outfit, simply choosing a suit she’d bought for a job interview she’d failed months earlier, matching black jacket and pants with a white dress shirt and baby pink tie. She didn’t feel right in dresses, especially not elegant ones like everyone else was wearing, so Asuna had been more than enthusiastic about her wearing a suit, even offering to pay for one to be tailored for her, though she’d declined.

The girls settled into silence, Suguha still taking in the details of the church, like the roses that decorated every vase or the beautiful stained glass window on the far wall. Rika, on the other hand, was captivated by the detailed ironwork in the corners of the ceiling, forming intricate patterns she couldn’t quite make out from the distance.

“I hope I can get married in a place like this someday,” Suguha wasn’t speaking to Rika in particular, more just daydreaming to herself, but Rika listened intently, “I hope I get to fall in love like my brother did, and have a wedding like this, and spend the rest of my life with someone I really love.”

“That’s the dream, isn’t it?” Rika leant back in the seat, stretching her arms above her head. “I hope I can carry a girl out those doors one day and annoy everyone by calling her my wife a million times every other sentence.”

“Do you think you’ve already met that girl?”

Both of them blushed in every shade of red possible, suddenly both very interested in the floor rather than each other. Suguha mentally cursed herself, feeling stupid for asking something so ridiculously corny. Of course she hadn’t found that girl yet, and even if she had, what business was it for Suguha to know? Why was she so suddenly interested in Rika’s love life?

“I guess I have,” Rika admitted shyly, twiddling her thumbs in her lap, “I just… I don’t know if she feels the same way, y’know?” She turned, pulling one of her legs onto the seat and tucking it underneath herself, then resting her arm on the seat’s back. 

Suguha nodded, shuffling around in the seat to face Rika so they could talk more personally.

“I mean, I don’t even know if she likes girls. She’s never really spoken about dating before, but I know she had a thing for this guy a while back. She could be bi or pan, I guess, but you just… You never know and it’s so frustrating!” Rika practically laughed rolling her eyes at her own over-complicated thoughts.

“Who is she?” Suguha asked. She couldn’t help but feel the tiniest bit… jealous? No, not that. She was happy her friend was interested in someone, she was glad she was moving on and finding more people that made her happy. But there was something underlying, something she couldn’t name.

“Uh, just a girl I know,” Rika shrugged and laughed awkwardly.

“Oh.” 

“We should head back outside, I’m sure everyone’s wondering where we snuck off to.” Rika stood up, then held out a hand for Suguha, who accepted it graciously. The pair walked to the doors of the church before Suguha stopped, tugging Rika’s arm back.

“I know you already have someone in mind,” she hesitated for a moment, “but would you want to carry me out the doors like a princess?”

Rika looked at her for a few seconds, then, before Suguha could react, lifted her into her arms, spinning her around once for good measure, and carrying her out the doors while the both of them threw their heads back laughing like little kids.

“Thanks for that,” Suguha blushed as Rika set her back onto her feet on the grass, nearly stumbling on her heel, which Rika thankfully saved by grabbing her hand.

“Any time.” Rika helped Suguha to get her balance back, then walked back over to mingle with other guests, leaving Suguha alone again.

Hours later, everyone had gathered at a nearby restaurant for the reception, all watching as Kazuto and Asuna walked into the room, holding hands and loving gazing into each other’s eyes. As to be expected of the lovable dork, Kazuto was too distracted to pay attention to where he was walking, tripping over his own two feet and nearly crashing to the floor. Thankfully, Asuna proved her speedy reputation, catching him in her arms before he could injure himself, the pair of them laughing as they made their way to their table, Kazuto now blushing more than he had been previously.

“They’re so perfect for each other,” Asada chuckled as she watched Kazuto save Asuna from tripping on her dress as she sat down.

“They really were made to be together, huh?” Suguha agreed, looking over to where Rika was bringing back a tray full of drinks for the three of them.

It was weird. That morning Suguha had been solely focused on her brother, straightening his tie and scolding him to comb his hair once more before the wedding, giving her sole, undivided attention to her family. But now that they were taken care of, she found her mind wandering back to her brother’s cute friend. Her brother’s cute friend who was already interested in someone. 

Suguha took a drink from the tray, thanking Rika quickly, before downing half of it in a single, fluid shot. Rika stared at her, shocked, then took a glass for herself and handed the final glass to Asada, who thanked her and took a much smaller sip.

“Something on your brain you’re trying to forget there?” Rika asked sarcastically.

Suguha nodded her head. “You know that saying, always the bridesmaid and never the bride?” She asked, resting her chin in her hand.

The other girls nodded. They knew the saying all too well.

“I wanna be the bride for once, dammit.” She mumbled, taking another swig of her drink, sticking her tongue out at the strong taste.

“What about that Nagata kid? I’m sure he’s dying to get you in a wedding dress.”

“Ew, Shino, don’t say that.” She shook her head, “I guess he’s okay, but he’s like a brother to me. Do you know how weird that would be?”

“Well-”

“Don’t say it.” A third sip of her drink, another deep sigh.

“You don’t like him?” Rika asked, talking over the rim of her glass.

Suguha considered her answer carefully. She liked him, sure, but not like that. Hell, she wasn’t even sure if she’d liked anybody like that at all. Well, at least not any guys, but she hardly had the confidence to say that out loud. Especially not in front of Rika. 

She finished her drink, practically slammed the glass down to the table, then looked Rika in the eye.

“I’m a lesbian, actually.”

“Hell yes!” 

Both girls looked at her, Suguha in confusion, Asada in exhaustion. She’d had to listen to Rika’s pained, normally over-emotional, rambling about Suguha for months now. She was probably more thankful to see progress finally being made than either of them were. 

“Well…” The sniper looked over at Kazuto who shot her a quizzical glance. She shook her head, mouthing that she’d explain later. It didn’t solve his confusion any, but as long as nobody seemed hurt, he was content to spend the evening lovingly cooing to his new bride how much he adored her while she blushed more every time.

The conversation stalled for several long moments, Rika and Suguha both too shy to move their confessions any further. Asada let out a pained, frustrated sob into her drink, willing any power that might have been listening to give the oblivious fools a gentle push before she took matters into her own hands and passive-aggressively shoved them towards each other.

“Suguha,” Rika cleared her throat, heart racing in her chest, “I do really like you…”

“But what about the girl you were talking about earlier? The one you have a crush on?” Suguha asked, confused.

Asada sighed deeply, dropping her head onto the tabletop, muttering something under her breath.

“That girl was you, Sugu.”

“Oh.” Suguha nodded her head in understanding, then her eyes widened. “Oh…”

Suguha leaned in closer, her shoulder brushing against Rika’s, then gently pressed her lips against hers. They were both inexperienced, but Suguha had a feeling they’d get much more practice before the night was over.

“What do you say,” Rika pulled away, looking at the girl in front of her, cheeks the cutest shade of pink, eyes the most enchanting starry sky, “Do you want to try being the bride for once?”

Her laugh was like twinkling bells, soft and beautiful and homely all at once, and the way she rested her head on Rika’s shoulder so comfortably made both their hearts skip a beat. Of course, an actual marriage proposal could wait, they had plenty for that. Maybe a few years in the future that would be in the cards. For now, they seemed perfectly content with holding hands under the table and giggling at Kazuto’s increasingly confused glances from across the room.

Maybe being the bridesmaid wasn’t always so bad after all...


End file.
